Oscillating piston internal-combustion engine



C. RICHTER March 4, 1947.

OSCILLATING PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed July 12, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 CharlE s Rim-lief March 4, 1947. c. RICHTER 2,416,846

OSCILLATING PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 12, 1941 v flglfl Eharlesfiishter March 4, 1947. c. RICHTER 2,416,846

OSCILLATING PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed Jl lly 12, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 E19 5 W Ehafleafiichter M0 M8 I44 57 AW March 4', 1947. c. RICHTER 2,416,346

OSCILLATING PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed July 12, 1941 e Sheets-Sheet 5 Ch 31* E 5 Richtr March 4, 1947. c. RICHTEIQK 2,416,846

OSCILLATING rrswou INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed July 12, 1941 Eh arles Richter 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Mar. 4, 1947 OSCILLATING PISTON INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINE K Charles Richter, Tampa, Fla.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 402,063, July 12, 1941. This application November 20, 1944, Serial No. 564,288

7 Claims. lei. 123-18) 1 This application is'a substitute for application No. 402,063, filed July 12, 1941.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide an intemal combustion motor of simple construction and assembly and one having small volume in proportion to its power.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a motor in which a plurality oi. pistons oscillate in fixed paths determined by a Supp rting element of large bearing surface relieving the crank shaft of the weight of the pistons, reducing wear by eliminating piston slap and side thrust, distributing strains and stresses over a large area" of light yet rigid construction, and cushioning shocks to absorb vibration.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction comprising castings that can readily be machined and having the number of, parts reduced to a minimum to lower the cost of manufacture' and assembly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure so designed and having the parts so related as to facilitate construction and assembly while obtaining great strength with light weight to resist pressure spread over an extended area..

Other objects are to utilize the benefits of leverage in the application of the power of the pistons, to dispense with the multiplicity of parts involved in the ordinary valve arrangement by using a single silent valve for each two adjacent,

rial section on the plane III.I of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 j

is a plan view with parts broken away to reveal details in the interior; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on the plane V-'-V of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the device; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section through a modification 0f the piston construction; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sec-' tion on an enlarged scale of the central shaft of the modification shown in Fig. '7; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through one of the rotary valves with a central portion shown in plan; Fig. 10 is an end view of the valve of Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 is a plan view of the valve casings with parts broken away and parts in section.

2 I The motor illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive is of the tour-cycle type. havingeight combustion chambers. As best seen in Fig. 2, there is a central casting l to which are secured outer castings '2 and 3. The casting I has a cylindrical center portion t and the outwardly facing annular channel portions 5 and 6 which confront similar channels i and 3 in castings 2 and 3 respectively, to form two passageways, each in the form of a torus, circular in cross section longitudinally and transversely, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be seen that the interior surfaces of these passageways can be machined and polished in a lathe.

Across each of these passageways, are set two valve casings, 9 and to in one, and II and I2 in the other. having flanges which fit into grooves l3 cut in the walls of the channels 5, B, I, and 8. The'valve casing 9 is diametrically opposite the casing II) in one passageway,- and the casing H is diametrically opposite the casing I! in the other passageway. Casings 9 and I0 areeach half way between the casings H and i2 circumferentially of the castings.

Pistons l4 and i i connected by bars I6, and pistons I1 and i8 connected by bar iii are mounted to oscillate within one of the passageways toward and from the valve casings 9 and III. A ring 20 slidably engages the smooth, interior, bearing-surfaces of castings I and 3, these cylindrical surfaces being concentric with the passageways.-

22 and 23 which are secured to bars lfi'and l9 respectively, so that the four pistons, connected 7 in pairs and facing oppositely in each pair, move simultaneously as a unit with the ring. The castings l and 3 have spaces 24 and 25 formed between their adjacent flanges of sufficient length to permit thenecessary oscillation of the arms 22 and 23. The weight of the pistons is carried by the ring and their rigid connection with each other and with the ring prevents lateral movement which'couid cause slap or wear within the passageways.

Pistons 26 and 21 connected by bar 28 and pistons 29 and 30 connected by bar 3| are indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, the bars 28 and 3| being attached to the ring 32 by arms 33 and 34. The ring 32 is carried by the inner cylindrical portions of castings l and 2 which form a smooth bearing for oscillation of the ring to guide the movement at the four pistons as a unit in the pas sageway between the castings l and 2, approaching the valve casings II and i2. For easy machining, the bars I8; I9, 28, and 3| will each be formed with flanges 35 to which the pistons may.

- 4| having bearings 42 and 4,3 for a crank shaft .44 which carries a fly wheel 45. This shaft has two cranks 46 and at 180 difierence of phase from which connecting rods 48 and 49 extend to pivotal connections 50 and M on arms 52 and arm. This driving-connection between the cranks and the oscillating rings will,- of course, determine the extent of oscillation of the pistons carried by the rings. The pistons oscillate in their passageways at a distance from the center of the passageway to the center of the shaft 54 shown as about two and one half times thedistance from the. center of the pivot 50 to the center of the shaft 54. The effective thrust of the pistons on the crank shaft is thus increased by the leverage of its mode of'application.

.In Fig. 1, the piston I4 is shown as close to the valve casing III, the space between the end of the piston and the casing forminga combustion chamber 55. The piston l8, at the same time, is close to the valve casing 9, the space between them forming the combustion chamber 56. In

Fig. 11, which is seen from'the same side as in Fig. 2, the valve casing is shown as constructed in two parts, each having a slightly tapering tubularportion 51 or 58, and having side flanges 59 fitting closely at their rims in the grooves l3 cut in the channel walls centrally of the tubular por- 53, one end of each arm being pivotally mounted j on a central shaft 54 carried axially of the cham-' .ber 39 by the end plates 40 and 4|, and the other end of arm-52 being secured to the ring 28 while the other end of the arm 53 is secured to the ring 32. In Fig. 2, the arm 53 is shown as being double, with the'rod 49 between the two elements of' the tions 68, 6|, east integrally with the members 2 and 3. In one-side of the portion 51 is an intake port 62, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2,

to serve the chamber 56, and in the'other side is the intake port 63 to serve the arcuate combustion chamber 64 between the end of the pis-. 1 ton l5 and thevalve casing 9. In the portion 58, the exhaust port 65 is on the same side of the casing as the intake port 62 to serve the chamber .to serve the chamber 54. At their meeting edges,

6 the flanges 59 have a tongue-and-groove engagement; the tongue 6'! on the portion 58 fitting closely within'the groove 68 in the portion 51. Each half of the valve casing can thus be fitted into its casting before the castings are assembled andconnected.

The tapering valve '89, shown in Fig. 9 in the same position as in Fig. 2, is mounted for rotation within the tubular portions 51, 58 of the casing 9, being held therein by a spring action later to be described. The direction of rotation of the valve is indicated in each of Figs. 1, 2, 5, 9, and

10 by an arrow. At one end, a shaft I8 is shown in Fig. 10 as secured to the tubular body of the I valve by arms II. Across the central section of I the body is a partition I2 which may be cast integrally with the body or secured in place by brazing or welding. I On one side of the partition, the body has formed therein intake valve-ports. I3

only with the port 62, the port 14 only with the port 63, the port I5 only with the port 65, and the port |6 only with the port .66. The portion of the valve periphery between ports I4 and 16 covers the joint between the members 5'! and 68.

As may be noted'by an inspection of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the motor on the plane V-V directly behind the. plane 1-! and seen from the same direction, as is indicated by the arrows. The sprocket wheels l1, 18, I9, and 88 are severally secured to the shafts of the valves which rotate in valve casings 9, III, II, and I2, respectively. The chain 8| connects these sprockets to rotate all four of them in the same clockwise direction indicated by the arrows. The chain is driven by a sprocket 82 pivoted on the shaft 54 and engaged with the gear wheel 83 by a pin The gear.

84 or in any other suitable manner. wheel 83 also rotates on the shaft 54 and is driven by the gea r 85 formed on the crank shaft 44 and having half of the pitch diameter of the gear 83. Two revolutions of the crank shaft drive each valve through a single complete revolution.

An intake manifold 86 is shown in Fig. 5 extending downward from the top on the far side behind the sprocket I9 and is shown in section about half way down on the left as it crosses over at 8'I- (Fig. 3) to the near side of the section plane to supply the valve 69 as seen in Fig. 2. The manifold 88 has aflange 88 surrounding a port 89 in the manifold Which registers with a port 96 in the casting I at the valve casing III. A similar flange 9| and ports are shown in Fig. 2 at the valve 69 where the manifold 86 terminates at the valve casing 9. A second intake manifold 92 is shown in Fig.

3, extending toward the left in that figure and are thus on the interior of the motor casing. The exhaust manifolds areon "the exterior as seen in Figs-2, 3, 4, and 6, the manifold 94 at the front serving valve casings B'and l0 and the I 56, and the exhaust port 66 is on the other side manifold 95 at the rear-end serving valve casings II and [2. In Fig. 2, the manifold 95 has the portion above the section plane II-II cut of! as indicated at, only the lower portion serving valve casing I2 being seen in this view. Each of the valve casings is thus served at its inner end by an intake manifold and at its outer end by an exhaust manifold.

' In Fig. 1, the pistons l4 and I8 are shown as at their nearest approach to the valve casings l8 and Y 9 respectively, with the crank 46 at a dead center moving clockwise. The crank 41 is at 180 of rotation from the crank 46 with the connecting rod 49 extending upward to the right to the arm 53, so that the ring 32 is. being moved clockwise and the front ends of the pistons 21 and 30 are at the dot and dash position indicated by the lines to which the numerals 21 and 38 are applied and are moving toward valve casings II and I2. The valve casings are apart around the axisof the motor and the difierence of phase of the two cranks causes two pistons to reach the end of a stroke at each 90 of rotation of the crank shaft.

'The original selection of the firing orderof the combustion chambers is arbitrary for two strokes on each side with eight possible orders, but in the case illustrated, piston I4 is supposed to be at the end of its compression stroke and site side of the valve,

' 48 will then be in the valve ports and their relative amount of rota tion are so adjusted that both the intake and exhaust ports ,0! the valve casing III are closed on the side toward the chamber the intake port I4 and exhaust port 16 being on the oppoas' seen at the upper right in-Fig. 2.

Piston H has completed-its intake stroke, being at its most remote position from the valve casing IIL'but the valve'intake port 13 is still bustion chamber 91 and it will remainopen for about 45 of rotation of the crank shaft 46 past its dead center, as is the familiar practice. The exhaust port 65 of valve casing 9 is still open for the chamber 56, the, valve exhaust port I--of opposite the casing intake port 62 for the comtion of the crank shaft after the closing of the exhaust port 65. The exhaust port I6 for the chamber 66 is already open, as can be seen from its .position in Fig. 9, since it opensbeforethe end of the power stroke of piston I5.

The valve ports'will be cut to give the proper sequence and the proper period of being open and closed to correspond with the size and location of the valve casing ports. The valves are connected by the chain ill for simultaneous rotation and each valve will be set in the praper angular relation to all the others when the chain is placed upon the sprockets. Any necessary angular adjustments of less than the angular interval between two sprocket teeth are accomplished by the use of a. slot 98 in a collar 99 secured to the shaft 10 and a screw I00 within the slot and engaging the sprocket to hold the Each sprocket has arec'esson the side adjacent to the intake manifold for a light spring which exerts a constant tension longitudinally of ,the tapering valve to hold it snug in its seatso that it will not become loose with wear and so that it will not bind when the valve becomes hot. Such a spring I1 or I8 is seen in Figs. 2 and 5 in sprockets ll and l8.

Each of the eight pistons will have the stand-- of the piston It will move to the line I 6' .while the front end of the piston I 5 will reach the line I5; The front "end of piston II .will move to the line H and the front end of the piston- IB will reach the line I8. The connecting rod Position 48' and the arm M will be at 52'.

The extreme angular range of movement of the front ends of each of the pistons 26, 21, 29, and 30 is indicated by the angular distances between the arrow heads at the ends of the arcs designated 26, 21', 29', and Y30' respectively. The angular position reached by the front ends of these pistons is indicated in each instance by shaft of the valve in the final adjusted position.

. per right in Fig. 2. The

line from the designating numeral, all the pis- I tons of this group being at that time in motion .clockwise. a a

The spark plugs for the combustion chambers 55, '56, 64, and}! respectively are indicated at IOI, I02, I03, and I terior view,-=these with their chambers through openings formed the valve castings in chan.-

give the view seen in Fig. 1.' Spark plugs for the rear chambers are indicated at I05, I05, I O'Land I08 in Fig. 6. The plugs will be connected in any suitable manner (not shown) with the distribu-- tor I09 indicated as mounted on a shaft, I I0 secured to the partition 12 of the valve at the upin two revolutions of the crank shaft and this will also be true, of course, for the distributor, 'so that any suitable distributor of the simplest type may be provided. As suchdetails'form no part of the present invention, it has been deemed un-' necessary to illustrate any specific form.

The radial webs iII of casting i have cylindrical flanges MZ'to receive the rims of'sheet metal water jackets M3 and H4 which are socured to the flanges by screws H5. Each jacket has a central opening to receive a cylindrical flange Iiii on the end plate 80 or. Around the edges of these openings, the jackets are clamped against flanges Ill and H8 on castings 2 and 3 by the outer rims of plates as and M secured in place by screws Hi9.

Openings are also formed in these jackets opposits each of the valves, the sheet metal being held against the ohter ends of the tubular members iii of the castings 2 and 3 by flanges I20- around the combustion chambers and out at an them to be partially webs II E from the oil the point of application to the arc of the lead I and the arms I 39 and I40 outlet manifold I25 on the top.

Connecting the lower portions of the radial webs III is a transverse'web I26 forming an oil pan of sutflcient depth to permit the sprockets El and and the chain BI which runs upon as indicated at I27. A petcock I28 is provided to drain out the oil when desired. I

As a means for closing the spaces between-the pan web I26 to the flanges of the intake manifolds 86, and'92 at the top of the motor as indicated at I29, two flexible metallic strips I30 are secured at their lower ends by screws I3I and at their upper ends are provided with ears I32 to be engaged by clamp bolts I33 pivoted between lu'gs I34 on the flanges I29 and having wing nuts I35 for easy release of these closures.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, means are provided for cooling the interiors of the pistons by a flowing liquid. The shaft mem bers I36, I37, and 1'38 will replace the shaft 56, will replace the arms 33 and 34. The end member I36 will be formed with a reduced end portion Ill to oscillatein the bearing I42 in the center of the plate II occupied'by the right end of shaft 54 in Fig. 2. The central member I3'Ihas one end formed with an annular, exteriorly'and interiorly beveled boss I43 to lit 04 in Fig.- 4, which is an explugs being in communication valve rotates only once which flows upward immersed in a bath of oil within a liquid-tight ground joint formed as an annular recess I44 in the inner end of member I36, the recess I44 having corresponding annular bevels matching those of the boss. The other end of the member I31 has a similar ground Joint connection with the member I38 which is held pressed into contact withthe member I31 by a spring yoke I45 seen at the left in Fig. 2.

.An inlet pipe I46 communicates with acentral inlet passage I41 in the member I38 which is in alinement with a passage I48 in the member I31 and a passage I48 in the member I35. An outlet pipe I58 communicates with a passage II bored in the member I38. At its inner end, the passage I5I opens into an annular'groove I52 in the ad- Jacent end of the member I31 between the two beveled surfaces or the annular bearing. As seen in Fig. 7, the member I31 has two passages I53 and I54 on opposite sides of'the central passage I48. These outlet passages cannot be seen in Fig. 8, one of them being directly behind the passage I48 and the other being in the portion cut away on the observersside of the section plane. Both of these passageways discharge into the annular groove I52 and at their other ends communicate with the annular groove I55Iformed in the ad- Jacent end of the member I36. Two outlet passages I56 and I51 formed in the member I35 discharge into'the groove I55. In Fig. 7, pistons I58 and I58 are shown as connected by the bar I68, to

which is secured the outer end ofthe arm I38 shown as tapered at the end which fits into the bar I58 and held in place by the nut, ;I6I.

tinuously through all of the-pistons during all phases 01' their oscillations.

The central ,crank case is shown as having breathers I8I at each end plate 48 or 4I, protected I on the outside-by a cap I82.

While a structure having eight pistons has been shown and described, it is evident that the device may readily be adapted to use only four pistons, orany multiple of four, as twelve, sixteen, or twenty. It has not been deemed necessary to illustrate such duplications, but it will be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited to the details of construction and operation chosen for purposes of illustration, but the claims are to be construed broadly within their legitimate-scope as limited-only by the prior art.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion motor, in combination, a carrier ring having an outer .cylindrical bearing surface, a support having an internal bearing surface upon which the bearing surface of the ring is mounted for oscillatory sliding movement, a crank shaft extending through The bar I68 has two longitudinal bores, 'of

which I62 acts asan inlet for the cooling liquid and I63 serves as an outlet. In the arm I38, the bore I54 communicates at one end with the inlet Passage I48 in the member I31, and at the other end, discharges into the bore I52. A groove I65 extending around the outside of the arm I38 at the inlet bore I62 and communicating with the bore I64. forms a channel through which the liquid may pass from the bore I54 to both pistons. At the lower left in Fig. 7, the piston I56 is shown in section as formed with an inner chamber I56 in which is secured a cup I61 having a flange I68 on which rests the flange I68 on the end of the bar I 68. The screws I18 pass through both flanges to secure the piston to the arm.

The'space between the cup and the inside of the ,piston forms the internal water jacket to cool the piston. Water or other cooling liquid enters this space at one side through the passage HI and "sage I15 and outlet passage I11.

At the right in Fig. 8, the member I36 has a portion broken away to show the inner end of an arm I18 which sets at right angles to arms I38 and I48, being one of a pair of arms for the other two pistons on ring 28 (not shownin this view), in the other passageway on the other side ofthe motor. The arrows indicate the flow from the central bore I48 to the inlet passage I18 in the arm I18 and from the outlet passage I88 of the arm I18 to the passage I55 and the groove I55. The cooling liquid may thus flow freely and conthe ring and the support, a. connecting rod pivotally connected to the ring between its bearing surface and its axis of oscillation, and connected at its end to the shaft, and means causing oscillation of the ring.

2. In an internal combustion motor, a support having an internal bearing surface, a ring having a cylindrical outer surface slidable upon the hearing surface of the support, a piston structure. comprising four pistons, each piston being rigidly connected to the ring, an arcuate combustion chamber for each piston, a crank shaft extending through the cylindrical support, and a connecting rod pivotally connected at one end with the ring and at the other end with the crank shaft, whereby to convert oscillatory movement, of the ring into rotary movement of the crank shaft, the point of pivotal connection of the connecting rod with the ring being between the ring and" its axis of oscillation.

3. In an internal combustion motor, a cylindrical support, a ring slidably mounted thereon to oscillateaboutthe axis of the support, arcuate combustion chambers concentric with the ring, a pair of oppositely directed pistonsrigidly carried by the ring and each piston movable longitudinally of one of the combustion chambers, a

crank shaft extending through the ring, andpower transmitting means pivotally connectingthe ring with the crank shaftto convert oscillatory movement of the ring into rotary movement of the shaft.

4. An internal combustion motor comprising a shaft, arcuate combustion chambers arranged in a common plane at right angles to the shaft, a cylindrical bearing member concentric with the shaft, a supporting member slidably oscillatable upon the bearing member, a piston oscillatable within each combustion chamber, means rigidly connecting the supporting member with each pis-- ton for simultaneous movement of all the pistons carried by the supporting member, an arm pivoted at one end upon the shaft and secured at its other end to the supporting member, a crank shaft extending through the cylindrical bearing member and rotating on an axis parallel with that of the first mentioned shaft, and acrank rod pivoted at one end to the crank shaft and at its other end to the arm to convert oscillating movement of the supporting member into rotary movement of the crank shaft.

5. In an internal combustion motor, a central two substantially parallel webs arranged radially of the cylindrical portion, each web having an annular channel concentric with the central cylindrical portion and facing outwardly from the web, two outer castings each having an annular.

channel in registration with one of the channels in the central casting and secured thereto, valve casings extending transversely of the registering channels to divide them into combustion chambers, the valve casings forming the ends of the chambers and having intake and exhaust ports formed therein for each chamber, valves in each valve casing having intake and exhaust ports in each valve to register with those in the casings,

a piston oscillatable in each chamber and two cylindrical piston supporting members slidable upon the inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the central casting, each of said supporting members being rigidly connected with the pistons in the annular chamber adjacent thereto.

6. An internal combustion motor of the'oscillating piston type having a central cylindrical member provided with radial webs formed on their outer surfaces with annular channels, outer members secured to the central member and each having an annular channel cooperating with the channel on the adjacent web of the central memher to form a toroidal chamber coaxial with the central cylindrical member, two diametrically opposite valve casings extending transversely of each having a connecting rod pivotally connected therewith and with one of the cranks, and oppositely directed pistons carried by each of the rings in each of the halves of the toroidal chambers" for oscillation toward and from the valve casings in path-s limited by their connections with the crank shaft.

'7. In an internal combustion motor, a crank case comprising a cylindricalchamber having end plates forming end walls for the chamber and having bearings therein for two shafts, an axial shaft and a crankshaft parallel therewithand having two cranks, two rings having their outer surfaces slidably mounted upon the cylindrical surface of the chamber, each ring having an arm carried at one of its two ends by the ring, each arm being pivoted at its other end upon the axial shaft, connecting rods each having one end mounted upon a crank of the crank shaft and pivoted at its other end to a central portion of its cooperating arm, arcuate combustion chameach of the chambers to define combustion chamber ends, the end wall of each chamber having intake and exhaust ports formed therein, a rotary valve in each casing formed with intake and exhaust ports registering with the cooperating ports in the casing, plates forming end walls for the cylindrical central member to form a, closed chamber, a, shaft supported by the end plates axially or the chamber, a crank shaft extending longitudinally of the chamber and having two cranks, two rings, each slidably mounted for oscillation upon the inner surface of the chamber and bers formed coaxially with the crank case and pistons carried by the rings for oscillation within the combustion chambers to cause oscillation of the rings.

. CHARLES RICHTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

